Abortion in Japan

Memorandums and information about abortion situations and problems in Japan

International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion

*JAPAN/INDIA – abortion access in the context of COVID-19

www.safeabortionwomensright.org

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Abortion in Japan before Covid-19 and the way ahead

In a conversation with ASAP member Dr Kumi Tsukahara, a part-time lecturer at Kanazawa University, she reported that manual vacuum aspiration is the only safe abortion method approved in Japan while dilatation & curettage (D&C) is still the first and only prerequisite method taught in training, and remains the most prevalent procedure for abortion. Termination of pregnancy of less than 12 weeks LMP costs about US$928. Mifepristone has not been registered for use in Japan. It is under evaluation in clinical trials but the approval may take two or three more years. The current law authorizes the Japan Medical Association to designate abortion providers who can perform abortion legally. Low-dose contraceptive pills were approved in 1999, but have not been widely used until now due to poor accessibility and high price. Condoms are still the number one contraceptive method in Japan, and cause many unwanted pregnancies. The emergency contraceptive pill was approved in 2011, but is only available after seeing a doctor and getting a prescription. Women in Japan are demanding that EC be made available on an over-the-counter basis.

From April 2020, the Ministry temporarily lifted these strict conditions because of Covid-19, so every Ob-Gyn doctor is now allowed to prescribe both contraceptive pills and emergency contraceptive pills to any woman who seeks them by telephone or internet. However, the Ministry is not actively publicising this decision, so most women do not know about it.

SOURCE: Asia Safe Abortion Partnership, 23 April 2020

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